NATIONAL NEWS - South African Team captain Antony Smyth (45) did his country proud at the inaugural ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championship presented by the Challenged Athletes Foundation when he secured a Silver medal in the Stand Final.
Smyth was one of the most impressive competitors throughout the event and deserved his place on the podium alongside Gold medal winner Mark “Mono” Stewart of Australia.
The inspirational leader of the South African team said afterwards “ Winning a Silver medal is an amazing honour. I am so proud of my team’s achievements. I would not be here without the support of family and friends. Ultimately this is about Adaptive Surfing and the courage of all the competitors. This has been a life changing experience for the whole team. Everyone wins”
The South African team was made up of Smyth (Hout Bay) Dries Millard (Langebaan), Jean Paul Veaudry (East London),Bruce Campbell (Durban) and official, Bongani Xulu (Ballito).
In the exciting Stand Final, Stewart posted 11.13 points out of a possible 20 narrowly edging Smyth, who scored 10.66, into second spot. Brazil’s Alcino “Pirata” Neto won the Bronze medal and Hawaii’s Mike Coots took Copper.
After winning Gold the 52-year-old champion spoke about his accomplishment.
“It’s a dream come true. I think everyday I’ve had a tear in my eye seeing people who are so dedicated and love the ocean as much as I do.
“I’ve been waiting 35 years for this event, but I now know that the sky is the limit with Adaptive Surfing. The future is in the hands of all the young people you’ve seen here this week. I can’t wait to see what happens next.”
